The new AFL season is almost upon us
and footy fans and punters are preparing to place their bets for the 2017
campaign. While many will focus their attention on placing their wagers on the
Grand Final winner or backing teams to finish in the top eight, others are
looking at more niche markets. The most obvious benefit of betting on this
alternative option is the bigger odds available, as well as the added
excitement it brings to a regular AFL campaign.

One particularly popular aspect of
an AFL season among punters is the race for the Coleman Medal; awarded to the
player who kicks the most goals during the regular season. West Coast's Josh
Kennedy made it back-to-back wins last year when he beat his 2015 home-and-away
tally of 75 - including a sensational
10-goal game against Carlton - by reaching the 80-goal
mark, the most of any player since Brendan Fevola scored 86 in the 2009
campaign for the Blues. The Eagles man will be hoping to make it a hat-trick of
Coleman Medals this year but will be pushed all the way by a string of prolific
goalscorers.

So, let's take a closer look at the leading contenders for
this year's Coleman Medal.

Josh Kennedy: Perhaps
unsurprisingly, Kennedy will start the season tipped by a lot of people to
finish as the league's leading goalscorer for a third year in a row. While West
Coast are at
around
11/1 with the latest AFL odds, Kennedy's presence in this Eagles team gives
them a weapon that could be capable of helping the team go all the way in 2017.
For the dynamic forward, this could well be the year he makes history and
reaches that 100-goal mark.

Lance Franklin: Finishing just six
goals behind Kennedy in the Coleman Medal ladder last season was a man who has
topped the regular goalscoring charts on three occasions during his
illustrious career. At 30 years old, Franklin is playing as well as he
ever has done, and the Sydney Swans star will be crucial to the club's hopes of
bouncing back from last year's disappointments and
upgrading their minor premiership flag with the big one in
2017.

Jeremy Cameron: If
Kennedy and Franklin are the present, Giants youngster Jeremy Cameron is
definitely the future. The 23-year-old has enjoyed an incredible start to life
as a professional, scoring 236 goals in less than 100 AFL appearances. With
Greater Western Sydney expected to be extremely strong in 2017, the forward's
goals will again be vital to the Giants challenging for honours this year.
Playing in an exciting GSW team, the finisher knows he won't be short of
opportunities this season.

So, rather than only betting on who
will win the Grand Final or which team will finish the regular season at the
top of the AFL ladder, maybe the Coleman Medal is an area you should be looking
at.